


Hive Mind

by Lawson112



Category: Star Trek
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-12-06
Packaged: 2021-01-25 11:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21355519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lawson112/pseuds/Lawson112
Summary: Charlotte Green, captain of the U.S.S. Xiao, knows all too well what the Borg are up to, having lost her parents and sister to them. She despises the Borg, the alien species bent on controlling the whole galaxy, assimilating everyone they can add to their collective. But something is calling to her, something within the collective that she can’t resist listening to.At the same time, the Xiao provides the perfect opportunity for Lieutenant Commander Shaun McKenzie to get the command experience he desperately wants. But when the captain starts to spiral out of control and takes the ship to the heart of Borg space, the crew rebel. With the senior officers out of action, Shaun must step up and unite the shocked and fractured crew and escape to Federation space, with the Borg in pursuit.
Kudos: 1





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of passion for me and is also my first big work. I'd appreciate any advice and feedback on my work as I really want this to become the best it can be.
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. :D

The Starfleet officers, resplendent in their dress blues, stood to attention in the large hall of the small starbase orbiting the star, Wolf 359. An ageing Starfleet admiral ambled across the stage to the podium to join the several others already seated behind him. The light from the star, muted by the large feature window behind him, gave the admiral an almost ethereal glow. "At ease," he said raising his hand and the officers promptly relaxed and sat down with the minimum amount of fuss. The admiral cleared his throat and placed the small PADD he was holding on the podium before addressing the large crowd.   
"We gather here, at the site of what can only be described as a massacre, to remember the 11,000 lives lost at the hands of the Borg." The younger members of the crowd shuffled and murmured at the mention of the Borg while the face of one Captain Charlotte Green felt the blood drain from her face, her heartbeat growing louder in her ears. The battle was all too fresh in her memory.   
"For those who do not know" the admiral continued "Wolf 359 was our last stand, our line in the sand so to speak against a single Borg vessel on course for Earth.”  
“Captain Bran, sensors are picking up the Cube it’ll drop out of warp in 2 minutes.” Charlotte felt her heart starting to beat faster as the memories fought their way to the front of her mind.  
“40 ships were sent to stop it, only one survived and 11,000 officers were killed or assimilated. Today, we remember their bravery, their dedication, their sacrifice."  
“Sir weapons are ineffective, they’re adapting faster and faster”  
“Shields are at 15%!”  
“Green, get to engineering find out what the hell is going on!”  
“Sir deck 4, 5 and 6 are reporting drones transporting on board. We have to get off the ship!”  
“All hands, abandon ship I repeat, all hands abandon ship!”   
Charlotte's heart was pounding harder and harder. Her hands clenched, knuckles white. She could feel a suffocating tsunami of dread approaching. Silently suffering in a black sea of isolation. The bosun's whistle caused her to jump. The audience, unaware of Charlotte's struggles stood to attention. She tried to join them, her unstable legs only just holding her upright. The admiral dismissed them all, which Charlotte took as an excuse to fall back to her chair taking long, deep breaths as she replayed the voices of her old shipmates over and over.  
"They're overrunning the ship, move Green!"  
"Come on, escape pods are three decks down"  
"Charlotte. Are we going to die?"  
Suddenly a voice broke the cycle. “Captain Green are you well?” Charlotte turned to face the owner of the voice and nearly fell to pieces, her experience as captain the only thing holding her up. Before her stood a Vulcan woman, a spitting image of Ensign Tevina. The close friend, the rock Charlotte relied on all through the academy, the one who was there when her grandparents passed, and one of the statistics drawn up after the battle. Charlotte stammered, her friends twisted, and bloody face intermittently superimposed over the admirals. “I can call for a doctor if you require one”  
“I… I… am quite well thank you, admiral, I just need a little air. Thank you for your concern” replied Charlotte, making a break for the door before the admiral could continue the conversation. Her abrupt movement drew the attention of the attendees immediately around her. They may have been trying to be sympathetic and genuinely caring, but Charlotte could only see victims, her shipmates and friends battered, bloody and half assimilated. Heart racing and breathing shallow she made feeble excuses as she pushed her way through the broken faces towards her salvation.  
The door slid closed behind her and Charlotte fell forward into the empty corridor, steadying herself on the opposite wall and breathing hard. She couldn’t shake the image of her friend. She could feel something running down her hand. Warm blood slid down her hand dripping onto the floor. Her heart pounded harder. She leant her back against the wall, slowly sliding down it, hands covering her head and praying to anything to help pull her out of her spiral. The corridor started to flash between the clean-cut starbase and the broken, sparking, fire damaged corridor of her first posting, increasing her heart rate further. She slammed the base of her fist into the deck. She couldn’t forget, didn’t want to forget the battle, as much as it hurt. The Borg took so much from her that day. She would not be controlled by her memories, her fears and her hatred, not like this. She started to breathe deeply and steadily. Slowly but surely, the corridor returned to its original, clean-cut form.  
"Erm Ma’am, are you...feeling OK?" came a timid voice.   
Charlotte slowly raised her head to look up at the owner of it.   
A young ensign, one she didn't recognise was looking at her with concern on his face. "I...I can call a doctor if you’re not well Ma'am" he continued, and Charlotte only just realised that she was sat on the deck, looking quite strange. She composed herself as best she could and stood to her full height, glaring at the ensign. "Do you address all your superiors in such a familiar manner?"  
"I...well no...but I..."  
"I will be addressed as either Captain or Sir, or have you forgotten Starfleet regulations already?" She could practically feel the ensign being crushed under her intimidating presence. "No Sir I haven't, I apologise" blurted out the ensign, standing to attention out of fear and habit rather than respect. "Hmm, see that you never do. Dismissed" said Charlotte, releasing the near traumatised good Samaritan from his ordeal as he made good his escape through the door and into the mingling crowds which, much to her disapproval, Charlotte was expected to attend.   
Her friends were few, far between and very carefully selected however they couldn't attend so, like many of the other years attending the memorial, Charlotte stood in a corner with her water until it was socially acceptable to leave. She tried to ignore as many people as possible but was occasionally forced to make painful small talk with her superiors who clearly couldn't read body language and the aura of 'don't talk to me' emanating from Charlotte's corner.

Eventually, the various officers started to depart, and Charlotte made a break for it, dodging the few stragglers who were the most likely to engage her in mindless conversation. She managed to dive through the open door just in time to hear the start of her name being called but it was too late for them, Charlotte was free. The corridor was quiet, many of the attendees had returned to their ships or their quarters on the small station. She felt at home wandering the corridors. The smell, the look, even the feel of the deck plates was the same as her ship. On her ship, she was confident and in control. Here she was not. But for a moment, Charlotte could trick herself into thinking she was as confident here as she was wandering her own ship. She liked touring it. It was hers and she had earned it. For two decades she had slaved over hours of reading, days of command simulations on the holodeck and years spent working her way through the ranks to sit in her big chair. One thing that Charlotte wished her corridors did have was windows, the thought came crashing into her mind as she turned onto a long left sweeping corridor the stars glinting through an equally sweeping 3/4 height window. Charlotte couldn't resist watching the few remaining ships glide about outside allowing the little girl in her to enjoy the silent ballet of the ships, shuttles and workbees buzzing around the station. She gave a rare smile as an ageing Excelsior class drifted out of its station orbit. The U.S.S. Excelsior was the first ship she ever saw, a small model on her father’s desk which she ended up breaking whilst trying to get a closer look. Her eyes followed the ship as it continued its course away from the station, past the main hub of the station and eventually obscured by the docking ring and the last remaining ship. The U.S.S. Xiao sat at the end of the sweeping curve giving Charlotte a full 3/4 view of her ship.   
The Saber class was her first command. She was a medium-sized vessel, stocky, well armoured with aggressive angles and designed from the ground up to do one thing, fight the Borg. Charlotte found this design philosophy very agreeable and had just enough pull with the admirals to request a Saber straight out of the shipyard. Charlotte took a moment to savour the memory of the first exterior inspection she ever took of the Xiao. It was her ship, her rules, a summary of everything she had worked so hard to achieve rolled into one metal castle. A castle to defend from and attack her greatest fear. Her combadge chimed and the voice of her first officer Chelim Tessik came through.   
"Captain, I know you didn't want to be disturbed today but the new officers have arrived." Charlotte sighed heavily, she knew Tessik was only fulfilling his job as first officer, and a fine first officer he was, but she couldn't help a small amount of anger bubbling up at the interruption of her better memories. The interruption itself was not the only source of her anger but also the reminder that two new officers were to be brought into her system, and that meant they needed to learn the rules. The precise, unbending rules of her castle which Charlotte was in no mood to spell out.   
"Very well, I'll be back aboard shortly, Green out" as she turned her back to the window, blocking out the view she enjoyed so much. Nobody knew she was this close to the ship, that would buy her at least a few minutes more. 

Shaun didn't really like shuttle trips, especially long trips at low warp. Worse still he was hunched over in the back of a type-9 shuttle. It was very small, cramped and Shaun was desperately trying to busy himself, but to little avail. He had tried sleeping, reading, the breathing exercises his counsellor had recommended for tight spaces, but nothing seemed to be working. He had enough, his breathing was getting faster and he could feel the sweat forming. He dived for the front of the shuttle, it wasn’t much more spacious but at least there was a window. But now he had another problem.   
"So...been busy today?"  
"Not really" was the flat reply.  
"Ah, well, big day for me."  
"Mm-hm"  
"Right...well... I have a new posting." He glanced over to gauge the pilot’s reaction. There was none. "Nearly new ship, U.S.S. Xiao, never been on a Saber class before. I've heard they're real tough ships, can take on a Romulan Warbird and...you know this trip would be so much nicer if we got a conversation going."   
"I don't really do conversation." Shaun rolled his eyes, coming to the obvious conclusion that a good, time-killing conversation was not on the cards. "Could pull rank, you know." He grumbled under his breath as he made his way to the back of the shuttle, picking up the PADD on his way.   
The hours rolled by and once Shaun had exhausted the information on his PADD he started wondering which superior he had pissed off to be lumped with the tiny shuttle, instead of a nice spacious Runabout. His mental listing of superiors who might have grievances with him was halted by the pilot announcing that he was taking the shuttle out of warp. Shaun jumped up, banging his head on the curved ceiling before diving into the co-pilots seat. The streaking stars became shorter, eventually returning to white dots scattering the blackness as the humming engines gently powered down and Shaun was treated to a sight he always enjoyed a new place. The Wolf 359 starbase comprised of three arms sprouting from a large cylindrical core. "Not many ships about, I thought the memorial was today" questioned Shaun, the pilot replied with a shrug as he tapped on the control panel in front of him. "U.S.S. Xiao the is shuttle Icarus requesting permission to dock." the pilot announced   
"Shuttle Icarus the is the Xiao. What is the reason for the request?" replied a female voice. Shaun internally gasped in an exaggerated way. ‘They've forgotten about me already?'   
"Transporting a passenger, Lieutenant Commander Shaun McKenzie, says he's excited to see the ship." Shaun glared at him for revealing that little fact, the pilot retorted with a smug grin.   
"Very well, you're cleared to dock, please inform Lieutenant Commander McKenzie to report to the captains’ ready room as soon as he is aboard." The console chimed indicating the communications channel was now closed.   
"She said you need to-"  
"Yes, I heard thank you" Shaun replied with a very unamused tone "just...fly the shuttle"  
"Oh yes sir, don't you worry I will." Shaun was just about to reply when the shuttle past the central part of the base and Shaun got his first look at the Xiao. He had never seen an outline quite like the Xiao’s unusual one before. The main section was angular, rather than the traditional smooth saucer shape and the slightly stubby engines were attached to a tiny secondary hull poking out from under the saucer. "Ok, she's...unusual looking isn't she," said Shaun, only just realising he was leaning on top of the console in front of him, his nose practically on the window.   
"Yep, certainly not my idea of a good-looking ship" replied the pilot as he brought the shuttle closer to the rear shuttle bay.  
"Oh, so we can agree on something. Alright then, what's your idea of an elegant looking ship?"  
The pilot thought for a moment leaving Shaun to wonder if he was mentally stroking his chin. "I would say...the...Yeager, they have a certain rustic charm about them." If Shaun was drinking, he would have done a spit take. All he could do was stare at the pilot in a mix of surprise and horror.  
"A Yeager!? Your joking right, you are, you just have to be. Nobody likes those bloody things" he blurted out. The pilot glared at Shaun as he tapped the console. The shuttle jerked violently throwing the occupants about for a few seconds as it landed in the shuttlebay.  
"Sorry about that," said the pilot in a very flat tone.  
"Yes, I'm sure you are" replied Shaun as he rubbed the top of his head, disentangling himself from the chair.  
"Well your trip is at an end, I hope you've had a pleasant one" was the only cheery thing the pilot said as a new Lieutenant Commander stepped foot on the deck of the Xiao. He took a breath of wonderful ship recycled air and looked around the shuttlebay of his new home. There was no getting around it, it was small. Very small. There was a second type 9 shuttle resting quietly next to his own which didn't help the cramped feeling. Stepping over some diagnostic equipment left strewn about next to the parked shuttle he made his way to the shuttle door, which didn't take long. The doors swished open as an ensign came barrelling in slamming into Shaun, if she was any taller she might have knocked him over but instead only caused him to stumble.  
"Oh no I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there, gahhh I shouldn't have just rushed in I could have knocked you over and hurt you or killed you somehow, oh what if I killed you" the ensign kept spiralling out of control.  
"Ensign, calm," said Shaun as he put his hands on her shoulders. "It was an accident, nobody was hurt so don't worry," he said as reassuringly as he could. The ensign took a few deep breaths.  
"Ok, ok I'm calm, sorry, it's just this ship. It's run so tight and it's weird and the captain is scary and this is my first posting and I really don't want to mess it up." She took a very deep breath  
"I'm sure you won't, just remember to take a second, hey which way to the turbolifts?"  
"Oh, right, left"  
"Erm...so...left?"  
"Right"  
"Oh...Ok" Shaun made a break for the door before he got any more confused. The door swished open again and Shaun stepped through, instantly stopping and started squinting. The corridor was dark, weirdly dark compared to the shuttlebay and his eyes were struggling to adjust. Making the brave decision to go left, he barely got three steps when a very familiar voice came from behind him.  
"Well I'll be damned, Shaun McKenzie, I heard you'd be joining up too." He spun around and beamed. An Andorian woman was learning her athletic, slightly short body against the wall, arms crossed. His eyes were still adjusting but he didn't need to see her, he couldn't forget.  
"Thryiss Izri, haven't seen you in years, what are the chances? Did you find out I got transferred here and joined up too? I knew you loved me really" he replied, throwing his arms out to welcome her. She chuckled and the two shared a brief hug before making their way to the lift. "Hey, you transferred to a command position, gotta say that red uniform works with your shade of blue. You look good," said Shaun. The two antennae on her head perked up a little as she smiled, brushing her shoulders a little.  
"Thanks, you haven't changed at all. Come on change up your hair or something" she replied, playfully batting a bang of her snow-white hair to emphasise her point.  
"Your one to talk, I'm pretty sure you were born with a ponytail. Aww, I just noticed your left one's still short." Shaun chuckled as gently batted her left antenna, causing them both to bend forward, nearly flat on her head. Thryiss did her best to ignore the man-child as she pushed the lift button, eventually slapping his hand away with a growl. He held up his hands in defeat while chuckling a little.  
"Sorry, I just haven't done that for years"  
"Yes, and it's as delightful now as it was then, just get in," she said, giving him a hard shove inside the now arrived lift. "Bridge."   
"So... have done your research on the Captain?" asked Shaun.  
"Yes"  
"Of course you have, care to share?"  
She sighed, "you haven't learnt a bloody thing since the academy have you?"  
"I'm sure I have, but nothing springs to mind"   
Thryiss chuckled "well, better learn fast."   
The lift suddenly stopped, and the doors opened. As Thryiss stepped out Shaun got a few moments to look round his new place of work. It was the most suffocating cramp bridge he had ever stepped foot on and was about as well-lit as the rest of the ship, the only major source of light coming from a free-standing display unit that doubled up as a window to a small workstation behind. The lack of stations took him by surprise as to his eye there seemed to be only a tactical and operations console attached to a railing sweeping behind the sunken command area, followed by a second smaller sunken area housing the helm console which sat almost directly in front of the view screen, currently black. Even tiering the space didn't help it feel more spacious. He was so busy criticising the bridge he nearly fell down the step to the lower half, cursing the ship designers for using a step instead of a sensible ramp. Thryiss was stood in front of a door to the left of the viewscreen subtly beckoning Shaun over to join her. He mouthed 'sorry' just as a voice behind the door said 'enter'  
Thryiss took a step forward, triggering the door to open. The captains’ ready room was just as dark as the bridge and was devoid of any personality, not that there was much room in there to display it. The two officers stood in front of Captain Green's desk which took up a large amount of already limited room. They both stood to attention waiting for Green to finish reading her PADD. Shaun was very surprised to see her wearing glasses but less surprised by her slightly hard features and her very functional bob cut, brown hair. He might not have done his homework, but he had heard the rumours.  
"Lieutenant and Lieutenant Commander Izri and McKenzie, welcome to the Xiao," said Green as she put the PADD down.  
"Thank you, captain" replied Thryiss  
"I'm looking forward to serving Ma'am," said Shaun, giving a confident smile. Green's face dropped and glared at him over her glasses. His smile suddenly burst.  
"Know this right now, I will be referred to as captain or sir. Never ma'am and so help me if you call me 'cap'." She stood up, catching both officers off guard with her height not to mention her presence which seemed to tower over them. "I run a very tight ship. Everyone has a job, they do their job and my ship runs like clockwork. You will do what I say, when I say with no arguing and certainly none of your 'gung-ho' attitude Mr McKenzie, yes I have read your file, and yours Miss Izri as well." She sat back down yet still towered over them. "I think you could both do very well on this ship, but you will play by my rules. Don't think I will bend them for you. Now, my first officer will show you to your quarters and give you your duty roster. I will not accept the 'I got lost on a new ship' excuse. Dismissed"  
The ready room door opened to reveal quite a butch, broad-shouldered Bolian man with his hands firmly behind his back. If he were any closer both the officers would have run straight into him.  
"Lieutenants, I'm first officer Chelim Tessik, your things have already been delivered to your quarters. You are both located on deck 4. If you'll follow me" he didn't wait for a response before walking towards the lift doors near the back of the bridge. He gestured for them both to enter and once Tessik entered and his back was turned, Thryiss stared up at Shaun with a look that he'd seen only once, right before she started a bar brawl that got them banned from the establishment for life. Thankfully the lift stopped and Tessik promptly stepped out, whether Shaun and Thryiss were following or not. A short walk found them at the door to Thryiss's cabin, which Thessik announced, then moved on regardless. Breathing a sigh of relief Shaun followed him around the corner to his door.  
"Here are your quarters Mr McKenzie, if you have any problems please bring them to me" before walking off. Shaun shrugged and tapped the control panel, opening the door.  
As the lights flicked on, they revealed a depressing sight. The whole room was smaller than the bedsit he had during the academy with a gap just wide enough to walk by between the single bed and the wall. His cases were placed on the bed and although he was travelling fairly light, he doubted that there would be enough room for the few possessions he had brought. Before he could start unpacking there was a chime at the door. "Come in my first visi...oh you already have. Oh shit, look I'm sorry I had no idea she'd hate it!"  
"I swear to whatever fucking god you believe in if you screw me over with your fucking attitude I will lock you in a fucking escape pod and launch it into a fucking star!" yelled Thryiss jabbing an accusatory finger right under Shaun's chin while balling her other hand into a fist.  
"Look I'm sorry, I had no idea she was this hard. I won't mess things up for you. Wait, since when have you been so career-driven, I thought you were happy with Lieutenant."   
"Well... I changed my mind," she replied, retracting her finger "The idea of going further kind of grew on me. I like the idea of running a ship" she sat down on the bed, her wrath now calmed. There was silence as the atmosphere grew mercifully less tense.  
"You want a drink?" said Shaun with a sympathetic smile on his face.  
"Yes, so much!" she admitted as she fell backwards onto the bed.

Captains log, Stardate: 50635.0  
This day, one of mourning and remembrance is more fitting for me than many others present at the memorial. It is a day of quiet reflection; this my crew knows and understands. It is a time to remember what the Borg did, what they took from me and the person they spurred me on to become. Instead, two new officers have joined my crew, disrupted my machine, my castle, my thoughts. I am a private person and it took many years to educate my crew in my ways and rules, which forced me into an uncomfortable position of teacher. I am not best pleased I must become one again. Hopefully, the day will not get any worse.


	2. The Battle of Sector 001

The transmission ended, and Charlotte's computer screen went dark, reflecting her ashen face back on herself. She tried to pick up her coffee, but her hand wouldn't respond, it lay on the desk, as motionless as the rest of her. Her stomach bubbled and churned eventually forcing her to stand and stagger over to the only window in her ready room. Steadying herself against the wall she peered into the empty void as if trying to spot their approach amongst the stars.  
"Why now? What do you bastards want now?" she muttered into the empty room, not expecting an answer but hoping none the less. She stared into the faint reflection of her face, taking several deep breaths. The dim light of the ready room casting a half-shadow across the left side of her face. She gave a humourless chuckle,  
"Broken. How fitting." She thumped the window hard as if to dislodge the unsettlingly accurate reflection.  
"Tell them, tell them then lead them. And for fuck's sake keep it together, that's an order," she told the reflection. Tugging at the bottom of her uniform jacket she stood upright, turned around and walked towards the door knowing that today was going to be a hard, so very hard day. Not just for her, but for her entire crew.

Shaun yawned loudly and was cradling his morning orange juice, dressed and ready to work but refusing to move when his doors swished open and Thryiss barged into his room, as she usually did on morning shifts.  
"Do you ever knock anymore?" he grumbled, half-asleep  
"Why would I do that and give you a chance to turn little old me away? Come on we're already late" she replied, with far too much pep for Shaun's liking. She tugged him to his feet from his spot on the end of the bed.  
"I couldn't sleep again you know." Thryiss let go of his free hand and gently placed hers on his arm.  
"Well, maybe we can see if there are some bigger quarters or if the doctor can give you something to help"  
"These ones are the biggest available. And I don't like the drugs the doctor gave me, they make me drowsy"  
"Well, guess we wouldn't notice then" Thryiss said with an awkward chuckle. After seeing it have no effect on Shaun's mood, she took the glass out his hand and cupped both of them in hers. "Look, I know you probably won't like the idea, but I know someone, a counsellor, upp bup bup, I know what you’re going to say but she's really good. I'll bet she can help."  
Shaun smiled.  
"Alright then, next shore leave I'll try, I have some coming up anyway.' Shaun paused for a little longer than he intended to. 'You always know what to do"  
"Of course, without me, you'd fall apart. Oh, shit we were late enough as it was now, we've really had it, come on!" The orange juice went flying as Thryiss dragged Shaun out the room and sped down the hall. He nearly ran into the back of her when she suddenly stopped and hid behind the corner she was about to turn down.  
"Oh come on, not now" she angrily whispered  
"What is it?"  
"Argill's waiting for the turbolift." Shaun poked his head around the corner to confirm the situation. "I woke up late enough as is, I've had half a shower and I haven't had my cup of tea. I am not in the mood to deal with his bullshit. Maybe there's another way up" muttered Thryiss as she massaged the bridge of her nose.  
"Not if you want to get to the bridge on time. Remember what happened when I was late that one time"  
"Yes. Vividly. Ok but if I kill him, you say he tried to kill me first"  
"I don't think anyone will care that much" replied Shaun as he stepped out from behind the corner, confidently walking towards the lift with Thryiss close behind. The Ferengi chief engineer was deep in thought when the two approached. Shaun took a deep breath, ready for battle.  
"Lieutenant Boll, how are you this morning?" he asked with the perfect amount of morning pep to not cause offence to any normal person.  
"Worse off for seeing you two. Late again? I'm sure Green wouldn't appreciate that, but then again, it's to be expected of course. You would have thought three months onboard would be enough time to turn you into fine officers rather than just...well, officers." said Argill with no small amount of venom. The doors swished open and Argill barged passed the exiting ensign almost shoving him into the wall. The ensign pushed himself off the wall and turned to angrily reply to the assault until realising who the perpetrator was and thought better of it. Shaun mouthed a 'sorry' and followed Argill into the lift, with a quietly stewing Thryiss in tow.  
"How are things in engineering then?" asked Shaun in an attempt to draw attention away from Thryiss.  
"Bah, why do you care. All you people do is find things in space that can break my engine and cause me more work" spat Argill  
"Well, I was just making conversation" replied Shaun through increasingly gritted teeth.  
"Well don't. Unless Ms Izri has something to contribute. I'm sure our scrappy tactical officer must have some opinions"  
"Got some opinions on where to relocate your balls," muttered Thryiss  
"Oh my dear, these big, beautiful ears aren't just for show, you know. What would Green say if her chief of security was found threatening her wonderful chief engineer?"  
Thryiss exploded.  
"I'm sure she wouldn't give a flying fuck what happened to her jug-eared little shit of an engineer and neither would anyone else on this ship!" Shaun had her practically pinned to the turbolift wall to stop her from actually relocating his testicles.  
"Now now, we don't want the whole bridge crew knowing how feral you really are," said Argill, completely unphased by Thryiss's outburst  
"Thryiss were here. Look just count to ten..." Thryiss was shaking, her eyes boring into the side of Argills head. ‘...million, then we go to work and ignore everything about him. I'm not letting you go till you promise me you won't kill him." said Shaun in the calmest voice he could manage. After several deep breaths Shaun loosened his grip slightly once he had ascertained that Thryiss wasn't going to attack Argill, he let her go completely.  
The doors opened, and the combatants exited their arena, spiling onto the bridge. Shaun took his station, the operations console, behind and to the left of the captain’s chair while the still glaring Thryiss took her station on the opposite side. He could hear Argill shouting at the helm officer for doing something to the engines mid warp when he was distracted by a box that had appeared on his console, with three dots in the top left.  
‘I'm sorry. I just can't stand him. He gets me so wound up’  
‘It's ok, he winds everyone up’  
‘I know but I'm chief of security. If Green ever did find out...’  
‘She won't and even if she did, she wouldn't care that much, I've heard she hates him as much as the rest of us’  
‘Not surprising really’  
Shaun was mid-sentence when the ready room door swished open and Captain Green strode out, her eyes fixated on her chair. She sat down abruptly, drumming her fingers over the armrest console. Shaun glanced at Green, then at Thryiss, then started typing.  
‘What's wrong with Green?’  
‘Don't know. She looks pale’  
‘She's always a bit pale but yeah, did you see how she walked in? Something's up, and I'll bet its new orders’  
‘OOO somewhere good, I hope. Somewhere interesting’

The conversation was cut short by the chime of the ship-wide intercom. The officers on the bridge all turned in surprise to look at Green as she rose from her chair, clasping her hands behind her back.  
"All hands, this is the captain. At 0523 hours this morning, the colony of Ivor Prime was attacked and destroyed. Long-range sensors have confirmed that this attack was launched by a single Borg cube. Admiral Hayes has ordered all ships in range to assemble in the Typhon Sector to intercept and destroy it. I don't need to tell you that we will be the last line of defence Earth has against the Borg." She nodded at the helm officer who nodded in return and started tapping on her console. "At maximum warp, it will take us twelve minutes to arrive, I expect each and every one of you to do your duty to the best of your ability. We cannot fail. All hands, battle stations!"  
The ship reacted to her will, the lights dimmed further. Pulsing red lights replaced the cool white ones. The battle-stations alarm blared around the bridge. Shaun could feel the underlying panic. None of them were ready for the orders they had just received. Nobody was ever ready to face the Borg. He double-checked his station going over the communications and sensor array and the weapons systems when the text box came up again.  
‘Is this really happening?’  
‘Afraid so Blue, guess we should have slept it’  
‘That's not funny...not now’  
He couldn't help but look over at Thryiss. Like the rest of the crew, she looked nervous, like she could see a countdown to her death, but this was different, people relied on her this time. If the Borg got on board it would be her job to fight them off. He was worried about her.  
The lift door opened behind Shaun followed by the thudding footsteps of Tessik, still putting on his uniform jacket.  
"Captain, what is going on?" he queried  
"The Borg, Tessik."  
"I...I see." Tessik finished zipping his jacket as he took his seat next to the captain’s chair. Charlotte remained standing, motionless save for her hands, anxiously rubbing away at each other like she was trying to undo some invisible restraints.  
"Captain, we're approaching the Typhon sector" came the voice of the helm officer, breaking the almost painful silence.  
"Take us out of warp ensign." The engines thrum subsided and on the viewscreen the stars grew shorter, suddenly filling with ships of all shapes and sizes. The line in the sand for Starfleet  
"Woah, how many ships are there?" said Thryiss, clearly stunned by the sight.  
"At last count, thirty-two" Charlotte replied  
"Is..will it be enough?"  
"It'll have to be, and you’re on duty Ms Izri, keep your opinions to yourself"  
"Yes, sir."  
Shaun's console started beeping.  
"Captain, incoming transmission. It's the admiral" he announced  
"Put it through." The admiral, an ageing, larger man with receding hair, appeared on the screen, behind his chair was a hive of activity. Shaun could only imagine the panic that must be sweeping through the fleet as the Borg sped ever closer with each word.  
"Green, I'm glad you could make it, we need every ship we can muster"  
"I wouldn't miss this sir, the Borg need to be stopped"  
"Indeed. I've put you in command of the 4th wing, made up of the Xiao, Maddison, Budapest and your sister ship the Yeager. You'll be attacking the cube on its starboard side and providing fire support for the 2nd wing who'll be making a more direct assault. I don't need to tell you the importance of what we're doing. If the Borg make it through our line, we have very few ships capable of intercepting it in time before it gets to Earth." From where Shaun was standing, he could see Charlotte's hands slowly clenched into fists.  
"They won't get through sir"  
"Good, Hayes out." The admiral's face was replaced by the ships slowly assembling themselves into the respective wings.  
"Helm, move us to the front of the 4th wing formation. McKenzie, I want clear lines of communication between us and the rest of the wing, I want them doing what I say when I say. Izri, recalibrate the shields and weapons, I want them on rotating frequencies. That should stop the Borg adapting and neutralising them too quickly."  
The barrage of orders sent the bridge into a frenzy. Shaun's' console lit up from all the transmissions passing to and fro through the fleet. But he couldn't help noticing that sat in the middle of the whirlwind was Charlotte. Calm, collected but something was different, unusual. She looked deep in thought, her clasped hands were almost white and her whole body was wound tightly, as if she were coiled up, preparing to attack. Shaun's console beeped a confirmation, the wing was ready.  
"Captain, 4th wing reports ready, they're waiting on your orders."  
The wait was unbearable. The whole bridge wriggled uncomfortably, waiting for the inevitable. Charlotte stared into the stars beyond the view screen, almost daring the Borg to show. Shaun and Thryiss exchanged multiple concerned glances as if trying to reassure the other that they were still there. Shaun's console came alive as a star-field appeared on it, a cluster of blue dots near the bottom and one single green dot near the top. The Borg were just a few minutes away.  
"Captain, transwarp signature just popped on sensors. It's the cube." Shaun couldn't hide the tension and fear in his voice. The situation had become all too real now.  
"Confirmed, one cube, two minutes out on a direct course" echoed the helm officer.  
"Hold for the admirals' orders, nobody makes a move till then" came Charlotte's stern response. The bridge tensed under the pressure of the inevitable. Shaun's console began lighting up again as ships passed messages around, far too many to read. A button lit up, indicating a directed message.  
"Captain, Admiral Hayes is hailing the fleet, audio-only." Charlotte nodded and the messaged played.  
"To all ships. I don't need to tell you about the importance of what we are about to do. The importance of our bravery, courage and dedication. The Borg have made one attempt on Earth. Now they're making a second. Our line in the sand is here. They will go no further than this. I have faith in each and every one of you. Do your best, do your duty and we will prevail. Hayes out."  
The message did little to shake the tension Shaun was feeling, if anything, it made it worse. He could clearly see he wasn't alone. The minutes felt like hours as the dot moved closer and closer to the cluster of blue. Shaun gulped, wishing the dot would just vanish somehow, or that he could just wake up and it all be over, but no such wish came true. The cube had arrived.  
"Captain, the cube's dropping out of warp" Shaun announced, feeling like he had just signed a death warrant. Before Charlotte could respond there was a flash on the viewscreen, a streak of black and green sped towards them suddenly coming to a halt. Turning from a streak to a perfect cube completely filling the screen. Shaun recoiled in surprise at the sudden appearance and sheer size of the cube.  
"It's massive," said one crew member to Shaun’s left. He ignored it, focusing completely on Charlotte, waiting for her orders, waiting for her to strike. She remained motionless, fists still balled behind her.  
"Wait for the admirals' orders, nobody will do anything until---" Charlotte was interrupted by the opening hail that sparked the end for so many lives

"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

Thousands of voices speaking as one forced their way through the ship’s intercom. Shaun's blood froze.  
"Hold for the Admiral's orders," barked Charlotte, demanding calm from her officers. The cube edged closer, daring an overeager captain to strike first. Shaun’s console beeped, and on reflex, he put the communication through.  
"All ships. Engage!" came the admirals' orders.  
"Helm attack pattern Omega, lock phasers. Photon torpedoes, full spread!" barked Charlotte, spinning round and marching back to her chair. The viewscreen burst into a flurry of orange and green beams. The Xiao surged forward, phaser fire filling the viewscreen with explosions from the cube. The Borg responded. The ship shook violently, sparks flying from a console behind Shaun.  
"Report!" shouted Charlotte over the sounds of hull impacts.  
"Shields are at 76%, hull integrity down to 89%," yelled Thryiss in response.  
"Wing reports moderate damage to their ships, minimal damage to the cube," added Shaun.  
Charlotte slammed her fist into her chairs console. "Attack pattern Beta, reverse course!" demanded Charlotte. Shaun’s console blinked with a message from the 2nd wing.  
"Captain, 2nd wing is beginning their run, they're requesting support." Charlotte didn't respond. "Captain, 2nd wing needs support--"  
"Continue the assault!" snapped Charlotte. The helm responded. The cube twisted back into view. A torpedo fired forward from under the viewscreen followed by another. It struck the cube on its top corner. The second struck a ship flying past the front of the Xiao. Shaun’s heart stopped for a minute.  
"Captain, a message from the Bozeman. They're reporting a torpedo impact on their aft section. Definitely ours."  
"Then they shouldn't be in the way! McKenzie aren't you coordinating this attack!?" yelled Charlotte, a crack forming in her calm demeanour.  
Shaun gritted his teeth. "Yes, sir." A transmission to the whole fleet came through. It made for grim reading. Shaun took a deep breath before delivering the blow.  
"Captain, report coming in. Oh shit. Half the fleet has been disabled or destroyed. Minimal damage to the cube. Still on course for Earth. 4th wing reporting heavy damage. Maddison's warp drive is offline, they're dead in the water. The rest of the fleet regrouping. Bozeman and Defiant are in pursuit along with several others.' Shaun could see Charlotte's hands clenching at the edge of her armrests, almost ripping them off their supports.  
"Pursuit course, maximum warp," she said in a low, threatening voice. The helm responded and the view of the derelict hulks, half ships and debris still burning off their remaining oxygen vanished, being replaced by the streaking stars of warp speed.

Shaun studied the console, looking at the damage inflicted by their torpedo on the Bozeman. The ageing Soyuz class had been refitted recently but the impact had done significant damage. He carefully read the sensor data. The torpedo struck close to the living quarters. Fifteen reported dead in those sections. Shaun had followed bad orders before, but this felt different; fifteen people had died because of his mistake. He went over the actions that would no doubt lead to their deaths in his head. He had arranged the wing, confirmed the attack pattern with his counterparts, enacted it and...and Charlotte changed it. She suddenly changed the plan. A plan that didn't include the rest of the wing. A series of beeps came from the helm.  
"Captain, we're approaching the Lunar perimeter. The remainder of the fleet has joined up with reinforcements from Earth Spacedock and are engaging the cube."  
"Drop us on top of the bastards" ordered Charlotte as her grip on the armrests grew tighter still, her knuckles threatening to break through her skin. The helm officer nodded, her hand hovering over her console, waiting to start the second round.

"Taking us out of warp in three. Two. One!" announced the helm. The battle came into full view. The cube was still imposing, even at the bottom half of the viewscreen. Orange and green beams streamed to and from the cube. Explosions dotting the surface threatening to swallow the Xiao whole.  
"Attack pattern Beta, course heading zero-one-one mark zero-five-five. Ready phasers, load torpedoes!" ordered Charlotte.  
"Torpedo’s loaded, phasers locked and ready" replied Thryiss.  
Charlotte slammed her fist into her armrest. "Fire at will!" Orange beams streaked towards the cube, impacting along its topside. The torpedoes glowed brightly as they followed the beams. Explosions tore the cubes hull. It moved away from the screen as the Xiao moved off, only to twist around and back on itself, bringing the imposing geometry back into view.  
"Attack pattern Gamma. Ready torpedoes, full spread. Fire on my mark! Mar--"  
A bright green glow encompassed the viewscreen. The whole bridge was bathed in an eerie green light.  
"Captain, the cube has us in a tractor beam. Helm's not responding. We're dead in the water. Charlotte stared down the beam. She had frozen.  
"McKenzie signal the fleet for assistance" came Tessiks voice, filling in for Charlotte. Shaun was already tapping away, searching for help. The eerie light dipped slightly as a ship flew right past the viewscreen, firing a flurry of torpedoes.  
"Captain, tractor beam hold has decreased to 53%" announced Thryiss. A new light appeared. A thin green-white beam fired straight underneath the screen. The ship shook violently. Sparks flying from consoles, lighting the bridge with flashes.  
"The Borg have fired a cutting beam. It's carving up the ship!" yelled Thryiss over the sound of ripping metal and explosions. Shaun was flung onto his console. The ship pitched wildly. A massive explosion sent a tremble through the floor.  
"Shuttle bay two just decompressed. It's taken section 32, 33, 34... all forward sections of deck 3 just decompressed. Captain, it's carving us to pieces, we need to do something!" the blind panic evident in Thryiss's eyes.  
"Enough of this!" shouted Charlotte, reaffirming her stance after the last rock of the ship. "Izri, send an anti-matter surge through the shield matrix. At 56% power, it should knock the tractor beam offline"  
Shaun couldn't believe what he was hearing but was too late to stop himself.  
"Captain, the Borg are capable of reflecting any kind of countermeasure. If they send the surge back at us there's no way we'll survive." To Shaun’s surprise, Tessik stood up and stumbled over to Charlotte.  
"Captain, I agree with McKenzie. The *Xiao* is lost, we should abandon ship."  
Charlotte glared at him.  
"Izri. Is the surge ready?" said Charlotte curtly  
"Yes sir, but I want it on record that this is--"  
"Then fire dammit!" shouted Charlotte, her voice breaking slightly.  
"Yes, sir," she said through gritted teeth. Orders were orders. Shaun braced himself against his console. The hull above them hummed, growing in pitch before the bridge was flooded in a brilliant white light. It shot up the green tractor beam, impacting the cube. Something was wrong. The white light turned green and swelled.  
"Tractor beam output is at 68%, 79%, 93%, 124%." came a voice from behind Thryiss. The Borg adapted their tractor beam to reflect the surge.  
"Shit. Feedback pulse!" screamed Shaun. Every gripped tightly to whatever they could find. Tessik was welded to the end of the helm console. Charlotte staggered back to her chair. She groped for the arm of her chair and slowly sat down. Knuckles a bone-white against the armrests. The readouts on Shaun’s console showed only warnings. The readout that caused the blood to drain from his body was proximity.  
"All hands brace for impact!" he cried. The whole bridge crew hunkered. The pulse struck the hull and Shaun’s world went black.

Shaun couldn’t tell if the ringing was coming from the ship or inside his head. He forced his eyes open and was met with a blurry sight of grey, pulsing red and a blue face. He groaned as he clutched his head, his vision slowly returning. Above him, Thryiss was gently touching his forehead, a stinging sensation matching each movement of her hand.  
"Oh shit, please be ok, you’re ok right? Of course, you are you wouldn't leave me like this would you? I'd never forgive you if you did." She started frantically patting him down looking for any type of injury, so consumed with the task she hadn't noticed Shaun slowly starting to wake.  
He groaned again as he slowly sat up before Thryiss pinned him back to the ground with a hug.  
"Damn, watch the... everything," he said, straining to get the words out through the fresh pain burning from what felt like everywhere.  
"I thought you died, you ass!" she said, her voice on the verge of breaking. From Shaun’s prone position he could clearly see his console. What was left of it. It looked like an angry animal had ripped it apart. Frayed wires sparked and a few button lights flickered. He didn't blame her for thinking was dead.  
"Come on Blue, help me up," he said, clutching his side, the greatest of his many pains. Thryiss released him, took his arm and pulled him up. He gently touched her forehead. A thin trickle of dark blue seeping from a gash over her right eye.  
"Seriously it's nothing, but you need to get to sickbay. If we still have one."  
"It can wait" replied Shaun, looking around the bridge in horror. The ship was still in one piece. Barely. Support beams lay strewn around the floor and hanging from the roof, small fires danced around chairs, stations and corners. Pieces of bulkhead hung from walls. Sparks from wiring and consoles lit the room as two crewmen struggled to lift a beam from a crumpled body under a pile of debris by the lift doors. A broken hand lying under it. In the middle of it all sat Charlotte. Motionless, staring at the viewscreen, the battle still raging outside. Tessik rose from behind the helm console, his eye welded shut from the blood pouring from a forehead wound. He gripped tightly to the rim of the console, steadying himself.  
"Report!" he barked. Thryiss staggered over to a nearby display, tripping over fallen bulkheads and wiped the pieces of metal hiding the buttons.  
"Shield grid is fused. Life support has failed on decks two, three and five. Environmental controls are offline. Warp drive and impulse engines are shot. Over half the crew are dead, missing or critically injured. Weapons are offline. But, oh it's all ok, we have three torpedoes left. What the fuck are we still doing here!?" screamed Thryiss, her fist pounding the display, glaring at Charlotte.  
"Compose yourself, Lieutenant. Captain, we should abandon ship." Tessik staggered over to Charlotte. Metal plates scratching at the floor as he dragged his left leg.  
"Why? How could they deflect it? What did I do wrong?" she mumbled to her lap. Tessik took a deep breath and stood as tall as his injury allowed.  
"All hands, abandon -" a humming of energy cut off his order. The crew stood confused as five beams of twisting green columns of light appeared on the bridge in front of the ready room door. As they faded, five humanoids materialised. Armour clad monsters. Red laser light emanating from their right eyes or implants on their heads. Arms replaced with wicked-looking tools and blank expressions on their half organic faces. Moving as one, they clunked forwards, spreading out onto the bridge like a plague of insect drones. The Borg had invaded.

The crew were dumbfounded. Tessik recovered first and staggered over to his chair. Falling at the last moment, he reached under the first officers' console and pulled out a phaser. He rolled over and fired at the first drone. The orange beam impacted its chest, sparks flying as it fell to the ground disappearing in the green energy it had arrived in. A second beam shot past Shaun and hit another drone in the side of the head. Thryiss had already pulled out a phaser. She rested her arm on the rim of her console and fired at the drone heading from the helm. A thin film of light green blocked the shot as the drone continued.  
"Fuck, they adapted!" yelled Thryiss as threw her useless weapon to the floor. Shaun hobbled backwards to the back of the bridge. Other crewmen had started moving away from the remaining drones as they marched forward. Uncaring about their fallen. One crewman darted for a hatch at the very back of the bridge, frantically trying to open it, fighting the warped frame that held the hatch tight. He gave up and fell into a corner, huddled up.  
"Oh God, they're here, they're on the ship. I don't... I can't... I ca... breathe" he panted, clutching at his chest. Another crewman knelt down and put her arm around him while the world around them came crashing down. Shaun hobbled over to the railing his station was attached to. As he grabbed it, he realised he had no idea what he was going to, shout, fight, collapse from the pain. Charlotte and frozen. She was still sat in her chair, wrapped in her own world. Tessik had managed to hobble round to the ramp leading from the sunken command area up to Thryiss's console. She was crouched behind her console with some thin metal plates, bending them into some sort of tool.  
Shaun was jarred into action by Charlotte suddenly rising, seemingly unaware of the chaos unleashed on her bridge. Her head jerked to the left, staring at a drone lumbering after a terrified crewman.  
"You kill my crew. You destroy my ship. Now you desecrate it!?" Her fists were shaking, shoulders rising and falling with each carefully controlled breath. She bent down, grasping a short piece of a support beam. The air around her turned cold. Darker and ominous like an approaching storm. Shaun reflexively stepped back, stunned at this new, sinister form of his captain. She stepped forward, trembling in rage or fear, he couldn't tell.  
"You will not take this from me!" she shrieked as she lunged forward, brandishing her weapon and swung with a supernatural strength at the drone. It rose its deadly looking claw to catch the beam. It was swatted away by the force of Charlotte's weapon. She spun around, letting her momentum carry her around the drone. Bringing her weapon back up and slamming it in the back of the head with a visceral crack. The drone staggered forward, it's red laser flickering. Charlotte jabbed its legs, bringing it to its knees before winding up her beam and swinging it down, cracking the drone in the side of its head. Its laser embedded into its skull. The drone fell flat on the deck, its laser blinking slowly as Charlotte stomped on its back before driving the end of the beam into its skull over and over, screaming like a banshee. The drone’s body spasmed with each impact, bone fragments flying.  
Shaun was fixated by a mix of horror and morbid curiosity. Not at the scene, but who caused it. He went cold as Charlotte looked up. Eyes wide. Windows to her burning soul. The two remaining drones, on opposite sides of the bridge, recognised this new threat and moved in. Charlotte spun to face the drone closest to her. Her shoulders were low, almost primaeval. She lept forward. Suddenly, Thryiss yelled as she darted out from her console. A glimmer caught Shaun’s eye as she shot towards the unaware drone, tackling it but failing to bring it down. It swung her around, pinning her to the wall. It brought up its other arm to her neck just in time to meet the vicious curved blade Thryiss had been holding. She sliced through the hand of the drone and gave it a sharp kick, sending it staggering back. She pushed off from the wall and tackled the unsteady drone, this time bringing it to the floor. She brought the blade down like a guillotine, nearly severing the drones head completely. Shaun was speechless. His captain was stabbing one drone with a piece of glass. His best friend had nearly decapitated the other. Thryiss fell backwards, her back against the bulkhead. Shaun went to check on her.  
"Hey, you ok Blue?" he said, the words scratching their way out.  
"They err, they never let you do that in the League," she said with an awkward chuckle. Shaun limped down the ramp to meet her, the drone’s body was now gone.  
"Yea, well those blades aren't actually meant to kill something though" he replied. Thryiss just stared at his feet, lost in the memories of what happened. Shaun bent down, as best he could, and lifted her chin. Her emerald eyes were hauntingly lifeless.  
"Look, you did what you had to. It's a drone remember; they would do much worse to you. To all of us."  
"I guess." She stared straight through him. He could see the scene playing out in her eyes.  
Out of the corner of his eye, Shaun saw Tessik pulling Charlotte off the drone. It slumped to the deck before de-materialising as she gave one last defiant kick into thin air. Tessik seethed in pain as he let her go, falling on the railing. Charlotte paid no attention and practically stormed into the centre of the bridge, suddenly stopping like she had forgotten what she was going to do. She stammered as she tried to say something, but Tessik cut her off.  
"Captain, we are abandoning ship, with or without you. If you wish to charge me with mutiny then so be it, but I will not let you endanger the lives of your crew any further." Charlotte turned to face the viewscreen. The battle had moved on, but several wrecks still lit up the dark void, burning their plasma and oxygen. She hung her head.  
"That won't be necessary Tessik," she quietly said. "Make your way to-" she yelped in surprise, making the remainder of the bridge crew jump. A drone had grabbed hold of her ankle. Two snaking tubes burst from its knuckles, piercing her boot. Charlotte let out a piercing scream as she tripped and fell, desperately trying to escape the vice-like grip of the drone. Shaun didn't realise he had gotten up, grabbing the blade Thryiss had made and shot towards the drone, bringing it down on its arm, severing it from the body. Tessik brought a heavy beam down on its head. Shaun looked around, shocked at home he had covered the distance, and without realising he had done it. The drone disappeared in the green light as Tessik dropped the beam.  
"Captain, are you alright!?" he exclaimed as he hobbled over to her. She had crawled away, stopped only by the helm console, staring at where the drone was, eyes wide in terror. Shaun watched in alarm as he saw the colour drain from her face. Her face suddenly contorted in pain as she yelled. The skin on her cheek began to bubble. A metal cone burst forth, spreading out like a star and gripping at her skin, just like the drones.  
"Oh shit, this is bad. Captain stay with us" said a panicked Shaun. He didn't even know if it could be stopped.  
"McKenzie, get the captain to sickbay. Now!" came Tessik's thundering voice. He helped Charlotte get to her feet as Shaun put her arm around his neck as they hobbled over to the turbolift at the back of the bridge.  
"Alright everyone, get to the escape pods. Tell anyone you meet on the way" ordered Tessik as he sat in the captain’s chair, tapping away at the armrest display. The crew obeyed as those that were left gathered around the warped hatch, a crewman using a phaser to cut it open. None of them wanting to share a confined space with a person who could turn into a drone at any moment.  
"Please work, please work, please work" Shaun muttered as he stood in front of the lift, praying the doors would open. He could hear the lift slowly whoosh to a halt as the left side of the door swished open. The other side stubbornly remained in place. He sidestepped inside, being careful not to knock Charlotte about.  
"Deck 3. I said deck 3. Of course, this goddamn thing had to break." He said as he slammed his free hand on the lift wall before tapping at the console. The lift door closed as a shudder marked the start of the journey. Suddenly, Shaun heard a sound he couldn't place. It sounded like it was coming from within the lift. After a few more seconds he realised it was a whimper, like a wounded animal waiting for death. He looked down at Charlotte, her hair creating a matted brown curtain obscuring her face. He could feel her shudder and spasm in pain.  
"Come on captain, please hold on. Just, hold on 'cap'." Charlotte didn't reply. Shaun started hammering the console in a vain attempt to make the lift move faster.  
"Shaun?"  
"Don't worry, we're nearly there"  
"Shaun. I don't want to become one of them." Her hair covered her face, but not her breaking voice. She grasped his uniform, pulling herself up to face him. Her skin a sickly white-green. Veins creeping across her face. More Borg technology had appeared, bursting forth from under her skin. Her eyes, the only truly human part left, were a whirlwind of pain, regret and desperation.  
"Please Shaun, promise me. Don't let me hurt anyone." Her grip loosened as she started to sob.  
The doors slid open to reveal a ruined deck. Shaun stepped onto it, completely on autopilot, stunned by yet another side to his captain. Somehow, it was even more terrifying than the rage. This was vulnerability, a side he didn't think Charlotte had. He staggered through the wreckage and debris using the small fires to light his way. An entire side of the corridor was exposed to space. A shimmering blue forcefield the only thing protecting the crew from the cold grasp of the vacuum.

Husks of starships drifted by, plasma fires burning like miniature stars. Shaun couldn't help but imagine the people who died on those ships, drifting through space in a collective metal coffin. He wondered if anyone he knew were in there. Another groan from Charlotte kicked him out of his inevitable spiral and he continued down the wrecked corridor. Several officers ran around the sweeping corner towards him, some injured but all in a blind panic.  
"What the hell are you doing, abandon ship dumbass!" shouted a female junior officer before coming to a screeching halt when she noticed the bent double form of the captain. She didn't know what to say, she just stared in a mix of horror and panic. The Borg were attacking, the ship was wrecked and now the captain had fallen. It was all too much for junior as she was pulled away by her colleague, still staring at Charlotte, who had started groaning again.  
"Hey, is sickbay still working?" shouted Shaun after them.  
"Guess so. Doc's still there" shouted a male officer from round the corner. Shaun took a breath, as deep as he could with the smoke, and pushed on. It wasn't far now, only a few more meters. Charlotte's body was getting heavier and limper. He was nearly dragging her when the doors to sickbay creaked open, stopping halfway. He wiggled in between then, pushing them open and nearly falling into sickbay. Like the rest of the ship, the room was in pieces. One of the three bio-beds on the right-hand wall had been split in half by a support beam while another bed had come loose and fallen over. Wires hung from the ceiling, lighting the room with sparks and every panel in the room was either flickering or off.  
"Don't people understand the concept of abandon ship anymore!?" shouted doctor Jenith as he darted around the room. The ageing Trill's face had a nasty cut above his left eye, dried blood left streaks down his forehead. His light grey uniform was bloodied, dirty and torn. He looked as bad as his sickbay.  
"Doc, it's the captain, sh--"  
"Don't care, I'll sort it on the shuttle with the rest of them" he snapped as he rooted around the remains of his sickbay looking for anything he could take.  
"Doc she's been assimilated!" Shaun yelled, taking himself a bit by surprise. Jenith immediately stopped and spun round to look at Charlotte. She was mumbling to herself, seemingly unaware of where she was.  
"Get her on the bed, I might be able to stabilise her, but I won't be able to stop it progressing completely. Not in this hell hole" he said, kicking bits of debris out of his way in frustration. Shaun helped Jenith lift Charlotte onto the bed and laid her down. He stepped back in horror, knocking over an instrument tray, as he got a clear look at Charlotte. She could barely be called human anymore. Her skin was still a sickly mix between white and green, but the Borg technology had continued to grow like it was trying to absorb her face. Dark green veins snaked around her face and down her neck and her breathing had gotten raspy.  
"Better find an escape pod boy, nothing you can do here," said Jenith with a stern tone, not looking up from his tricorder as he scanned Charlotte. Shaun nodded, but just as he turned his wrist was grabbed with a strength that caused him to yelp. Charlotte had grabbed him and started pulling him to her. Jenith dropped the tricorder and started flinging vials of liquid about in a desperate search.  
"Dammit, I'll try and sedate her! Don't let her inject you boy!" Something felt different though and Shaun decided to let her pull him closer. Under the technology, she was smiling, a faint one but definitely a smile.  
"Shaun...I can hear her...she been here all along..." she whispered to him.  
"Who, who can you hear?" Shaun whispered back as a hiss came from the other side of her head. Her smile faded and her eyes closed as Jenith removed a hypospray from her neck.  
"Good Gods boy, do you have any idea how risky that was!?" Jenith yelled, threatening to take a swipe at the back of Shaun’s head. Shaun glared at him.  
"Shaun. My name is Shaun McKenzie, lieutenant commander actually" he spat. The doctor took a breath and relaxed, rubbing his forehead, smudging the dried blood.  
"Well then Shaun, take a look around. You really think rank matters now? Go, get off the ship while you can, I'll help the captain." He turned back to Charlotte, gently resting in the chaos surrounding her.  
"Alright, just make sure she gets off the ship in one piece."  
"I'm not making promises Shaun, but I'll damn well try." Jenith waved towards the door, shooing Shaun away as he resumed his scanning. Shaun squeezed his way back through the door and popped back into the wrecked corridor. A wall console flashed in front of him, 'abandon ship' overlaid on a floor plan of the deck. He tapped the screen, bringing up a cutaway of the ship. Three small sections lit up, none on the deck he was on.  
"Seriously? Three pods?" he groaned in frustration and exhaustion.  
"Shaun, you still there? Please tell me you're still there." Relief washed over Shaun as he heard Thryiss through his combadge.  
"I'm here Blue. The captains with the doc, he's going to do what--"  
"The commander needs you up here, he wants to scuttle the ship. He needs your code." She sounded very tense. Given what Shaun could see, he could understand the commanders' decision. The crew was evacuated, the ship was wrecked, the least it could do was try to damage the Borg cube with its death.  
"Alright, I'll try and get up there, lifts are playing up."  
"Yea, no shit"

Shaun strained in the effort as he pulled the lift doors open, spilling out onto the bridge, caught just in time by Thryiss to stop him falling on the floor.  
"--Alpha 1, 1-2" came Tessik’s voice from the centre of the bridge.  
"Commander I've got partial thrusters; it'll do for a short burst but don't do any stunts with it," said an exasperated officer as she pulled herself out from under the helm console.  
"Excellent work lieutenant, get yourself to an escape pod and launch at once." She nodded and made her way to the crawlway at the back of the bridge.  
"Shaun, I take it you're aware of the situation. As the second-highest-ranking officer, I'll need your code for the auto-destruct," said Tessik. Shaun nodded and walked over to one of the few undamaged consoles, tiptoeing around live wires and debris. Tapping on it, he brought up the auto-destruct command.  
"Computer, this is McKenzie, lieutenant com--." The whole bridge shuddered, nearly knocking over several of the remaining crew over. A huge grey object streaked past the viewscreen and out of sight.  
"What the hell was that!?" yelled Thryiss as she gripped the edge of her console.  
"Can't tell, sensors are at 31 per cent effectiveness, didn't look Borg though. I'm nearly done with comms" replied an officer from the front of the bridge.  
"We don't have time for speculation. McKenzie, continue" replied Tessik with a voice like he was delivering a morning briefing. Shaun nodded in response. Just as he opened his mouth, the sound of static filled the bridge.  
"Enterprise, I'm hereby taking comm-- of the fleet. All ships, direct your fire-- following coordinates."  
"Was that the Enterprise?" said a stunned Thryiss "Why the hell wasn't she here already. She could have turned this whole battle!"  
"Whatever the reason, she’s here now. What's the status of the engines and weapons? Can we join the counterattack?" said an unnervingly calm Tessik. Mckenzie made his way to the helm as Thryiss studied her display.  
"I'm trying to fire the thrusters but--gah damnit, we just lost them again."  
"Phasers are at 12% effectiveness and even if they were working we've lost over half the emitters and if that wasn't bad enough there's an undetonated torpedo lodged in tube two." Thryiss's shoulders dropped as she spoke, the adrenaline of the battle wearing off, Shaun could practically see the wave of tiredness crashing over her. He could feel it himself. He slowly spun his chair round to face Tessik  
"Commander, we've got no weapons, no engines and we don't know if the auto-destruct will even work. Staying here isn't going to help anyone now. We need to leave" said Shaun, as sympathetically as he could. Tessik sighed.  
"I agree, Lieutenant. There should still be a pod left on deck two. Let's go." Thryiss needed no encouragement and was already halfway to the Jeffries tube by the time Tessik had finished his sentence. Shaun quickly followed suit, followed by Tessik. They crawled as best they could through the cramped crawlway, having to descend two decks to avoid a section of the tube exposed to space.

The door to the pod was already open and formed a small ramp to the cramped interior. The three survivors climbed aboard and strapped themselves into three of the four seats.  
"Computer, launch" ordered Tessik. The computer beeped as the hatch closed with a soft hiss. A whirring and metallic clanging reverberated around the pod before a sharp jolt pushed them down into their seats. Shaun could see the carnage they were launched into through a thin window strip next to Tessiks head. It was worse than he imagined. He thought he counted thirteen wrecks, but it was hard to tell from all the pieces floating in space.


	3. After the battle

Nobody spoke, there was nothing to say, and it weighed heavily on Shaun. The hours ticked by before a jolt shook everyone from their thoughts. A blue glow came from the window and Shaun could just make out that they were being pulled upwards. The blue was replaced with the soft white glow and Shaun could just make out a shuttle bay before being shaken as the pod landed. The door hissed open to reveal the rest of the bay. Seventeen pods of various shapes and sizes sat all around. The injured were being carried away on stretchers or helped out of the bay by anyone strong enough to help. A Telerite stood at the bottom of the ramp, flanked by a human and a Vulcan carrying medkits, beckoned them out.  
"You're aboard the U.S.S. Vulture, don't worry, the battle’s over now. If you need medical attention, follow Ensign T’vel, if it isn't urgent you're going to have to wait, we've got our hands full"  
"Yes, I can see. I believe we're all right, thank you" said Tessik, rising from his seat and stepping onto the deck. Shaun and Thryiss followed suit.  
"Is there any word about the captain?" asked Shaun. He didn't even bother trying to reign in his concern.  
"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific Lieutenant, we have received a great number of casualties," said the Vulcan.  
"Green, captain Charlotte Green. U.S.S. Xiao?" snapped Shaun before he even realised the tone he was using. Tessik placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"The captain can wait, McKenzie, I'm sure she's well." The Telerite stroked his chin in thought.  
"Yeah, Green. Sounds familiar." He snatched a PADD from the human nurse, who looked completely unsurprised by this rude act. "Green, Green, Green. Got it, U.S.S. Spirit, they picked her shuttle up, along with your doctor, chief engineer and two other crew members. Heard she got herself assimilated. Let's hope that's sorted out, don't want another one of those damned things running around," he said with a slight chuckle. Shaun could feel a rage building inside him. He didn't think he had any left but he was ready to strangle the Telerite and see how many smart ass comments he could make with no air. But Tessik, at least verbally, beat him to it.  
"Captain Green fought valiantly against unthinkable odds. She deserves respect, especially from those who weren't present for the battle, don't you think?" he said in a tone so cold it could have frozen a star. The Telerite lowered his head, suitably disciplined.  
"Yes sir, I meant no disrespect. It's just...it's just been a long day for everyone."  
"Some more than others. Now, I trust there is somewhere for us to go. I doubt you'd want us sitting around your shuttle bay."  
"Yes sir, we've converted cargo bay 2 on deck 6 and cargo bay 3 on deck 12. We have food and water, you might be able to find a place to have a nap too. We're going to be here for a few more hours looking for survivors before heading back to Earth Spacedock." The Telerite replied.  
"Very well. We appreciate the rescue. We'll leave you to your work" said Tessik, motioning towards an incoming shuttle, the blue glow of the tractor beam highlighting its broken warp nacelles. A gash in its side obscured the registry number. Finding survivors didn't look promising. Tessik ushered Shaun and Thryiss out of the bay and into a corridor. The ship was clearly underequipped to deal with the number of people currently on board. Crewmen both injured and healthy lined the edges of the walkway, all on a dramatic come down from the adrenaline of battle. Shaun followed Tessik almost on autopilot. He could barely register the faces of the people he passed, or the groans of the injured. They approached the end of the corridor just as the turbolift doors swished open and several medical staff poured out. Shaun and Tessik only just managed to dodge them in time. Thryiss was not so lucky as she was pushed aside and bounced off the bulkhead, falling into the arms of Shaun. He just heard an apology being shouted back down the hall.  
"Hey Blue, you ok?" asked Shaun. Thryiss didn't need to respond, he could see she wasn't. He ice-blue skin was grey, her eyes lifeless.  
"Thryiss? We can find you a medic. Do you want a medic?" he said, the concern in his voice apparent.  
"No. Just, no" she replied in a voice so quiet Shaun could barely hear it.  
"You should both get some rest. It's been a trying day, to say the least. I will try and find some information on the captain. Go on" said Tessik, motioning towards the still open turbolift doors. Thryiss wandered in, seemingly unaware she was doing so. Just as Shaun stepped forward, Tessik grabbed his arm and leaned in.  
"Get her to a counsellor as soon as possible"  
"Yes sir, I intend to"  
"And it wouldn't hurt to see them yourself"  
"Yes sir, that, does sound good about now." They stepped into the turbolift and the doors swished closed.  
"None of this should have happened" came a quiet voice from behind Shaun. He turned to face Thryiss. She was leaning against the curved lift wall, arms now folded. She was staring at the floor.  
"No, it shouldn't. But you know what the Borg ar-"  
"I'm not talking about the damn Borg. I'm talking about our captain." Her fist balled as she spoke  
"She did the best she could under the circumstances," said Tessik  
"Her orders were crap. We all knew it! But we were good little officers and look where it got us! The Xiao is wrecked and I don't know how many people died. Because we were good little officers" she said scowling.''  
"It isn't our place to question the captain, Izri. The captain has the right to order whatever she likes" replied Tessik. The lift came to a halt, the doors swished open and Tessik strode out. Shaun was about to follow when he realised Thryiss wasn't following. She was staring at Tessik, her mouth hanging open in shock.  
"Are you fucking joking!? She nearly got us all killed. We could have been assimilated and all you say is 'she can do what she likes 'cause she says so!?' Thryiss screamed as she shoved Shaun out of the way to pursue Tessik. He stopped and turned.  
"This has been a stressful day Lieutenant, so I'll pretend that I didn't hear the outburst. I suggest that you go and get some rest and calm down. Do not question the captains' orders again. Have I made myself clear?' said Tessik in a low, stern tone before walking off down a corridor to the left. Thryiss had stopped dead mid-argument, unable or unwilling to argue back. Her fists were shaking. Shaun placed a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off.  
"How can he be fine with this. They were our friends, our colleagues. She just threw their lives away because she couldn't handle the Borg. Guess what Green, Borg are scary, deal with it!" she ranted.  
"I don't know, but I'm sure Tessik is just as devastated as the rest of us"  
"Well, he's fooled me. But this isn't his fault, he didn't break rank, he didn't order that feedback pulse, he didn't lose his mind on the bridge. Charlotte did. All this shit, that's on her." She was now pacing up and down the corridor, getting some strange looks from people passing by.  
"Look, I know she made some bad calls, everyone does once in a whil-"  
"Oh no, don't you defend her too, she got her own crew killed! Her own damn crew!"  
Shaun opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He couldn’t argue with her or facts. Thryiss scoffed.  
"No, I'm not doing this, with you of all people. If I see Green again, I swear I'll kill her for this. I'm going to find some food, I'm starving" she said, moving towards the turbolift doors. Shaun followed suit, only just realising that he hadn't eaten anything in hours. Just as he was about to get in the lift, Thryiss's hand firmly pushed him backwards.  
"Oh no, I need some time alone. I am way too worked up for this" she said as the doors closed on Shaun. A strange feeling of rejection weighed down on him like a shuttlecraft had landed on his head. Thryiss had never pushed him away before. She had always vented to him about anything. The intrigued gaze of a junior officer grabbed his attention.  
"Can I help you?" Shaun snapped  
"No sir, sorry sir," said the officer as he scuttled away, embarrassed that he was caught. Shaun kicked a piece of equipment tucked away to the side as he skulked off down the corridor. He didn't feel hungry anymore.

Blinding white lights greeted Charlotte as she slowly came to her senses. The world was a blur. As she blinked, the lights became focused and a face leaning over her came into view.  
"Welcome back Captain, thought I'd lost you for a minute. Well, several minutes actually" said Jenith.  
"Doc...doctor, I'm glad you made it off the ship. The Xiao. The Xiao! What happened!? Is she alright!?"  
"Easy Charlotte, easy" he replied, gently pushing her back down on the bed. "The Xiao is, well I'm not sure where it is but when I left, it wasn't looking too good. A lot like you. Now, I've managed to remove about ninety percent of the Borg implants, luckily they didn't get too attached to you. I've deactivated the rest and I'm referring you to a specialist to remove the last few. A good friend of mine too. Until then you are strictly off duty and I'll need you to wear this monitor if you decide to go walkies, just in case the implants reactivate for whatever reason."  
"Thank you, doctor, I appreciate it"  
"Well, you call if anything happens. Oh, and off duty means just that. You were assimilated Charlotte, that's no laughing matter. Now I have to do some rounds, they're short-staffed here as is." Jenith picked up a PADD as he left the sickbay.  
It was a cacophony of noise with nurses and doctors running ragged and barking orders. Patients howled in pain, an occasional flat line tone and the doors constantly swishing open and closed as doctors and nurses pilled out while new patients pilled in. And yet, for Charlotte, it was as quiet as the void of space itself. The voices of the Borg collective had vanished. Billions of voices talking at once, all inside her head, now silent. She was alone with her thoughts. She replayed the battle in her head over and over as the buzzing of activity was going on around her. She had lost her nerve, she knew it. The Borg had defeated her yet again. She balled her fist to try and hit something, anything, but her arm didn't move. She didn't have the strength. She could still feel the burning of the nanoprobes as they swam through her body like her blood was on fire. She wanted to scratch her skin off to get them out, but again, her arms didn't move. The walls started to close. The air grew thick and heavy. Her blood itched, she could feel the Borg implants wriggling under her skin. She desperately tried to breathe, her body refusing to respond. Her gasping grabbed the attention of a nurse. He rushed over, grabbed a tricorder and slowly passed it over her. He said something, she couldn't hear. The blood pounded in her ears as he reached over to a tray, picking up a hypospray and loading it with a yellow liquid vial. He pressed the nozzle to her neck and a wave of calm washed over her. Her body grew dull as the world around her became darker and darker. Her blood cooled and the pounding in her ears grew quiet until she was finally embraced by comforting sleep.

Two weeks later.

Commander Perez put the lighter down and gently blew on the sandalwood incense stick, its tip glowing a bright orange. He had found sandalwood had a calming effect on many of the species to come through his door. Except for Benzites. It made their noses run.  
"Computer, time?" he asked.  
"The time is 1539 hours" replied the synthetic voice of the computer. He paced about his office, fiddling with the various decorations. It wasn't unusual for patients to be late but over an hour? The door chime grabbed his attention.  
"It's open," he said cheerily. The door swished open revealing a woman. A relatively tall woman with her hands clasped behind her back, her bob cut hair in perfect order. She strode in.  
"Commander Perez, I apologise for my lateness. I was meeting with heads of the Utopia Planitia shipyards" she said. Perez could tell just from the way she held herself that she commanded a ship before she even mentioned it.  
"May I ask what about?" he replied, motioning to the sofa.  
"They're, concerned, that the Xiao might be beyond repair," she said, sitting down.  
"You disagree?"  
"That's right. She's a fine ship, she doesn't deserve to be scrapped." Perez noticed that she had perched herself on the edge of it, glancing around the room. She was a textbook, unwilling patient.  
"I agree, just because something is broken, doesn't mean it can't be fixed," Perez said with a smile. He sat in his own chair next to the sofa, picking up a PADD from the small coffee table.  
"Subtle, commander." Perez decided to let the comment slide.  
"You must have a real connection to your ship if you're willing to go to such lengths to keep her spaceworthy."  
"She’s mine, commander. I don't expect you to understand. I doubt many people can. Now, why don't we get to the real reason I'm here." Perez nodded and relaxed into his chair.  
"Alright. First, why don't you tell me why you think you're here"  
"Surely you have the reason on that PADD"  
"I do, but I want to know what you think, not some doctor." She thought for a minute, clearly evaluating a selection of questions.  
"Starfleet seems to be under the impression that I have some, underlying issues with the Borg which, might be, affecting my ability to command." Perez tapped on the PADD.  
"Do you feel they're right to think that?"  
"It doesn't matter what I feel, I'm on medical leave until I've been tested and prodded enough to satisfy Starfleet Command."  
"You're dodging the question." Charlotte gave a faint smile. She thought she had won this round.  
"Alright, let's start off somewhere else. What happened during this battle?" Perez said. She shifted uncomfortably, pursing her lips. Now he could get to work.  
"I'm sure you've been briefed on what happened. I don't see why I need to tell you that"  
"Well, I'd like to know what you think about what happened. You're the only one who truly knows what you were feeling." She shifted more. Feelings were clearly a tough topic. He decided to try a different tactic.  
"Can I get you something to drink?" Perez asked. Charlotte looked back at him with a slightly confused look.  
"Er, yes, yes, please. Hot chocolate would be nice," she replied. Perez got up and walked over to the replicator behind him.  
"One hot chocolate and one Tarkelian tea, sweet," he said. The replicator hummed as two steaming glass mugs appeared in the receptacle. He picked them both up and handed the hot chocolate to Charlotte.  
"Thank you" she took a sip. "It's been some time since I just sat down to enjoy a drink."  
"Well, you've been through a lot. I think it's the least you deserve." She took a few more sips before cradling the mug in her hands.  
"Don't think this means we're friends now," she said flatly. Perez chuckled.  
"I didn't expect it to happen instantly. But, we do need to tackle this elephant in the room. You can't avoid it forever"  
"Alright, I'll humour you. Let's talk about how the Borg, once again, decided to assimilate Earth. Killing hundreds, if not thousands of people sent to stop them and how they wrecked my ship in the process."  
"In the end Charlotte, it is just a ship."  
"Just a ship? You just don’t understand, do you? She was more than just a ship. She was the result of all my work, everything and she was mine! You have no idea what I sacrificed to get her!" she yelled, taking Perez by surprise. He had patients lose their temper before. Something about this was different.  
"Charlotte, look. You don't need to be a Betazoid to work out that this conflict has affected you more than you want to admit. To anyone. If you want to get anywhere in your therapy, you need to admit one thing. The Xiao is lost." Charlotte's grip tightened around her mug. Her face darkened.  
"Taken, counsellor. My ship was taken from me." Perez sighed. Then remembered something from her file. A small section that could explain everything.  
"It's not the first time the Borg have taken something from you." Charlotte froze.  
"Don't you dare" she growled.  
"You lost your parents and your sister at Wolf 359 and you never sought counselling to help with that loss." Her hands were trembling. Knuckles white. The glass mug nearly spilt its contents.  
"Make your point, or this session is over," she said in a low, menacing tone.  
"It's time to face reality" replied the Perez, seemingly unfazed by Charlotte's attempt at intimidation. "Your parents and sister are gone, and no amount of hatred against the Borg will change that." Charlotte glared at him. It felt like the air in the room grew colder.  
"My sister is alive. I heard her when I was…assimilated. Anna is alive and she needs my help."  
"Charlotte, your sister is lost, the sooner yo-"  
Charlottes mug shattered in her fist. Her mouth curled to a snarl; her eyes narrowed.  
"Taken, commander! My family, my ship, everything I hold dear, taken!" she screamed. "But I can get her back. I'll find Anna and bring her home. I know I can!" Her eyes darted around the room as if she was seeing pieces of a puzzle she was assembling.  
"Captain, please calm dow-"  
"No, no I know what I have to do, it's clear now, and not you or anyone at Starfleet can stop me!" she shouted as she headed to the door. Perez tapped his combadge.  
"Perez to security, report to counselling room two, code red." Charlotte spun around, her eyes like daggers staring him down.  
"You bastard!"  
"You left me no choice Charlotte. You're too unstable, you can't command a starship in your condition" he said, tension rising in his voice.  
"You...you're just like the Borg. You're just trying to take things from me." Charlotte started to move towards him. "Everything I've worked for, everything I've loved. Taken." Perez backed up. His hip bumped the edge of his desk. "Everyone in this fucking galaxy thinks they can take from me. I’m fighting back, I’ll take every one of you fuckers. You won't take anything else!" Charlotte screamed as she grabbed a heavy statue, lunging at Perez with murderous intent. Perez threw up his arm to defend. An orange beam struck Charlotte in the back. She fell forward over the desk, dropping the weapon as two armed guards rushed into the room.  
"Are you alright sir?" the man asked. Perez nodded as he was helped up. The other guard, a Bolian woman pulled Charlotte's unconscious body off the desk and rested her flat on the floor. She tapped her combadge.  
"Arlim to transporter room 1, two to beam directly to the brig, cell 1A." A shimmering blue light enveloped them as they dematerialised.  
"Thank you, lieutenant, I'll be fine. I have to report to Starfleet medical immediately if you'll excuse me." Perez said as he carefully sat down in his desk chair. The guard nodded and left Perez to his work.

Counsellors log, Stardate 51048.4. Patient: C. Green  
It is unfortunate that a captain as decorated as Charlotte Green does not recognise the fact that, on occasion, we need help. The trauma of losing friends and family to the Borg threat has clearly weighed heavily on her, and with no one to help her come to terms with it, it has festered, infecting her whole life. This recent battle has opened that wound further than I first believed. She is acutely paranoid and defensive, seeing anyone who tries to take something from her as an enemy as threatening and insidious as the Borg. As a result, she lashes out. Violently as the report by Lieutenant Izri and today's attack show. The report made for some disturbing reading. This coupled with the attack on myself today leaves me no choice. I recommend that she be relieved of command and placed under the care of Starfleet Medical. For her sake, and the sake of anyone who crosses her path.


	4. Downtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter that hasn't been workshopped by anyone yet. Any feedback is much appreciated :D

Sunlight streaked through the netting separating the hotel bedroom and the balcony. A perfect marriage between the old, artistic Parisian style and clean-cut lines of the 24th century. Old landscape paintings that could be mistaken for windows dotted the off-white walls while a plush brown leather sofa sat in the centre of the room. A small but stylish kitchenette was crowded into the corner for those who preferred fresh meals. A replicator embedded in the wall catered for those not interested in cooking.   
Shaun had decided to take some of his shore-leave, as well as some medical time he managed to get and spend some time in the south of France. He'd always wanted to visit but never found the time and a friend in Starfleet Medical had managed to get him a room in a nice, quiet hotel in a sleepy village. He yawned and stretched across the space of his double bed before pulling himself out of bed and ambling over to the replicator in the kitchen.  
"Coffee, milk, one sugar" he grumbled. The device obeyed and a cup of coffee materialised before him. He picked it up, inhaling the roasted scent and wandered over to the small balcony, framed by light linen curtains gently fluttering with the light morning breeze. He was still in his boxer shorts but the balcony looked out over the rolling hills of southern France. There wasn't anyone about to see. He sat quietly on the edge of a deck chair, sipping his coffee and let the combination of caffeine and sunlight slowly wake him up. The smell of fresh air, not the recycled starship air, filled his nose as he gazed out over the rolling hills and vineyards. For the first time since serving on the Xiao, almost any ship in fact, he felt relaxed. He felt free.  
"Psst." He looked round in confusion. "Psst, down here," came a female voice. Shaun peered over the balcony railings. Thryiss looked back up at him, beaming. "Hey, sleepyhead. I would have come in but the front desk wouldn't let me past without a key.' Shaun blinked, utterly dumbfounded. "You are happy to see me, right?" she asked, her beaming smile slowly dissolving, being replaced with a look of concern. Her antenna started to bend downwards.  
"Four weeks. Four weeks and not a word from you." Thryiss's bubbly mood shattered. She sheepishly rubbed her upper arm and looked away. Her antenna now lay almost flat on her head.  
"I...I'm sorry, I just..." she trailed off. Shaun realised that he came off angrier than he meant to.   
"Well, you better come up and tell me what you've been up to then," he said waving her up. The smile returned to Thryiss's face as her antenna perked up.  
"Actually, I was thinking we could take a walk through the village. I hear they have a great little farmer's market." Shaun pondered. On the one hand, he wanted to collapse back into bed, but he did want to spend time with Thryiss.   
"You know what, that sounds nice. Let me get dressed."  
"Don't keep me waiting," she said with a smirk.

The cobbled street from the hotel snaked its way through the old, white-washed town-houses down to the village square. The square was already a bustle of activity with vendors showing wines, woodwork and locally made woollen clothing. Thryiss slipped her arm through Shauns as they meandered through the market, her pale yellow summer dress gently fluttering in the summer breeze along with her snow-white hair.   
"What happened to you?" Shaun finally asked. "We talk every day, we're practically joined at the hip and then you disappear for a month? You know how many times I tried to call you. I damn near got Starfleet Intelligence to track you down." Thryiss slowed down, her antenna falling flat against her hair again. "You really had me worried."  
"I know, I really am sorry. I wanted to call you so many times but every time I did, I just. I don't know, I just couldn't. I kept thinking about what could have happened, about what did happen. My counsellor keeps telling me that what happened, happened and this is just part of the mourning process. She also suggested I should spend some time at home."  
"The one place I didn't call."  
"I don't think my father would appreciate that anyway. He's always been a bit disappointed I joined Starfleet instead of the Imperial Guard." She stopped, pulling Shaun to a halt. Her antenna pointed directly at him, her eyes staring into his. "I'm sorry I worried you, really I am. Do you forgive me?" her green eyes glistened with held back tears. Shaun simply responded with a tight hug. Thyriss sniffled. "Thank you" she whispered. Shaun let her go.  
"Come on, it's a small village but there's still a lot to see." Thryiss smiled as she wiped her eyes and slotted her arm back in between his.

They continued their meander through the town, Thryiss seeming to be in much better spirits dived down every nook and alleyway looking for tucked away shops or a new area to explore. Shaun hung back a little, enjoying the company and seeing Thryiss happy once again. She dived excitedly down an alleyway only to reemerge a few seconds later looking a little disappointed.  
"Trash cans," she said. Shaun chuckled. She cocked her head slightly, her expression turning to confusion. "What? What did I do now?"   
"No, nothing," he chuckled. "It's just nice seeing you happy again, after the battle and how you felt when we were on the Vulture, well, I thought I'd never see that smile again.  
"I...I guess I needed some help and a really big change of scenery." She slotted her arm round Shauns again and continued their exploration.  
"Have you heard anything about the rest of the crew? Everyone's been quiet." The grip on Shaun's arm tightened. He looked over at Thryiss with concern.  
"Hey, what's wrong?"  
"Shaun, I...I think I did something bad"  
"What, did you get barred from another club?"  
"Shaun I'm serious. I think I got Charlotte sectioned. I... really need someone to talk to.'  
"Hey, you know I'm always there for you." Shaun was taken aback. It wasn't often Thryiss wanted a talk as serious as she was making this sound. A signpost on the wall in front of them indicated a cafe nearby. She tugged him down an alleyway bordered by ivy crawling up the sides of the building like a fisherman net. She led him through down the street to a square, tables dotted the sun-drenched area. A human man in a linen shirt and beige trousers was clearing the lunch of a now vacant table.   
"So, what happened? What makes you think you got Charlotte sectioned?" Shaun said as he sat down  
"Well, you know how I was quite angry after the battle?"  
"Vividly"  
"Oh, yeah. Well, two officers from internal affairs showed up. They wanted a report on Charlotte's performance..."  
"Oh no."  
"So, in my anger, I might have given a...pretty bad report." Thryiss grimaced as she started twirling a finger around a loose strand of hair.  
"And now they've used that to relieve her of command. I thought you'd be happy."   
"Charlotte crossed a serious line and I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive her for getting our crew-mates killed. I don't want to forgive her."  
"But?"  
"I know Starfleet is her whole life. If she lost her commission, I could live with that. Hell, I'd argue she deserves it, but locking her up in some damn psych place, that's too much." Her eyes started to water. "I know what those places are like. They can break people you love--" she cut herself off, dabbing her eyes with a napkin. She sniffled, swallowed hard and composed herself. "Not even Green deserves that." Shaun put his hands over hers. The ghost of a smile responded.  
"She's going to get help, proper help." He stared into her piercing green eyes. "You did the right thing Thryiss. I'm sure of it." She sat for a moment, letting the words sink in. Then, she smiled.  
"You hardly ever call me Thryiss," she said, dabbing her eyes one last time.  
Shaun leaned back. Before he got a chance to respond, a red-haired woman wearing a black and white striped jumpsuit strode up to their table.  
"Well howdy. So, you must Thryiss which would make you, Shaun," she said in a Texan accent.   
"Er, that's right," Shaun stammered. The woman dropped her shoulders. Shaun hadn't even noticed how tense she was.  
"Oh, thank God. You must be the third person I asked that to today. People in this village must be thinkin' I think everyone's called Shaun," she chuckled as she grabbed a chair from another table and sat down in between them. "I would've come up so say hi sooner but it looked like you were having a 'thing'," she said as she waved the waiter over. Thryiss turned to her in shock.  
"How much did you hear?" she asked, quite intensely. The new woman recoiled slightly.  
"Now I didn't hear anything at all, I swear. But it looks like y'all made up, so I thought I'd join ya." She turned to the waiter. "Yeah, can I get a lemonade, please. You two want anything?" Thryiss shook her head.  
"I'll have an espresso, thanks." The waiter nodded and headed inside the café. Shaun turned to face the woman. "So who exactly are you?" She clapped her hands together.  
"Oh my gosh, I completely forgot! My name is Ruby, Lieutenant Ruby Emmerson. I'm the Borg expert attached to the Xiao." It was Shaun's turn to recoil in surprise. Thryiss stared at him, then at Ruby in confusion before finally speaking.  
"Okay, several questions. One, did you research us, then track us down just to say hi? Second, why do we need a Borg expert, we're not exactly going looking for them, and thirdly. The Xiao!? That death-trap is getting scrapped!" Ruby had leaned back as if to somehow dodge the barrage of questions.  
"Well, to answer the first question... kinda. Well, yeah. I just like to have at least one friend before I go somewhere new. Makes me feel a bit safer, ya know? Secondly, and this has to be off-record cause technically, y'all don't need a Borg expert. I need at least a years of deep space experience before they'll let me have my own research team, and I really want that team. I know a guy who knows a guy who... well anyway I managed to get assigned to the Xiao. They needed the personnel." She shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the lives lost.  
"And the Xiao? Last we heard she was going to be decommissioned," said Shaun as the waiter placed a small steaming cup, a jug of lemonade and a small tumbler on the table.  
"Ah, that was two weeks ago. Admirals orders, as of yesterday any ship that's basically in one piece is getting repaired, no matter how long it takes. The fleets running thin, and since the Xiao only had hull breaches and not huge chunks missing, she's getting fixed. Congrats, you're gettin' your ship back," said Ruby with a smile as warm as the summer sun they were sat in. Thryiss, however, folded her arms, leaning back in her chair.  
"Oh goody," she said flatly. Ruby's face slowly sank.  
"Gotta say, thought you'd be pleased. She's a real fine ship, y'all are lucky to have her." Thryiss stared daggers at her.  
"There is nothing lucky about that ship. We nearly died on it, a lot of our friends did. I'll... I'll resign my fucking commission before I step on that fucking death trap again!" she yelled, drawing the attention of two new customers. Suddenly, Thryiss stood up. "You know, I can't do this. I'm not talking about that fucking ship one more time, not with you, not with the counsellors and not with, Ruby was it? I don't even know you. Screw this, I'm going for a walk. I'll see you later Shaun." Thryiss stormed out of the courtyard as Ruby got up to chase after her. Shaun gently grabbed her arm.  
"Best let her go, I've seen her take out a Klingon when she's like this." Ruby gave a polite smile and sat back down. She poured herself a drink and was about to take a sip when she put the glass back down.  
"Is...is she like that with all new people, or just me?" The look in her eyes almost begged Shaun to say it wasn't just her.  
"She's been under a lot of stress lately. So, what do you know about what happened on the Xiao?"  
"Erm, well, not much. What's that got to do with my question? It is just me isn't it." She sniffled as she stared into her glass. Shaun put a hand on her shoulder. "I was just trying to make some friends."  
"It isn't you, trust me. She's angry. Really angry. Captain Green not only betrayed her trust but ignored orders and the warning from her officers and got most of her crew killed. Frankly, I don't blame her. Green crossed the line in almost every way a captain can." Ruby took a sip of her drink as she seemed to take a little comfort in Shaun's reassurances.   
"I'd heard Green went off the deep end, but I also heard she's doing real good. Scuttlebutt is, she's going to be cleared for command." Shaun put his head in his hands with a groan.  
"Oh, Thryiss is going to love this. How the hell did she manage to get that? Wait, how many people know about it?"  
"Woah, ok. Not many people, just a little rumour a friend of mine told me. Maybe she just got the help she needed. Maybe give her another chance, hmm?" She poured a fresh glass of lemonade, letting her words hopefully sink in.  
"You weren't there Ruby. I like to think I'm an understanding guy but even I don't think she should come back." Ruby's brow furrowed.  
"Guess I'm one of the few going into this without any prejudices huh." Shaun leant on the table, putting his chin in the cup of his hand, looking thoughtful.  
"Yea, I guess you are." They sat silent for minutes, unsure of what to say next. Eventually, Shaun broke the silence.  
"I should go find Thryiss, shes probably calmed down, at least a little bit," he said, getting up to leave. Ruby followed suit until Shaun put a hand up to stop her.  
"No offence, but I think it'd be best if I went to find her." Ruby slowly sat back down dejected.  
"Oh, I was kinda hoping we could get off on the right foot this time." Shaun gave a sympathetic smile.  
"Look, Thryiss is nice once you get to know her, but she's...well, fiery. I'm sure she'll come around." Ruby smiled, seemingly reassured she had another potential friend.  
"Thanks. So, guess I'll be seein' ya'll on the ship soon?"   
"You bet," he replied as he waved and walked out of the courtyard. 

Charlotte studied the PADD intently. Research calmed her, especially in circumstances that could change her life in such a radical way. She swore as she tripped over a portable generator she'd forgotten was there. Her quarters on the Xiao were only slightly larger than the other officers but still quite cramped. She would normally feel comfortable and safe, if it weren't for bits of debris, wiring, tools and anything else the engineers rebuilding the ship felt like storing there. The price she had to pay for staying on her Xiao.   
"Computer, time," she asked.  
"The time is 1145 hours," the computer replied. Charlotte was shaken from her research. The exhaustion of a whole nights research suddenly hit her. She rubbed her eyes our of frustration and tiredness.  
"Shit. I'm not ready for this. Coffee, black, extra strong." The replicator near to the door hummed, then stopped, hummed again and an empty glass mug materialised. The panel dimmed before it sparked furiously as if it aggressively disagreed with Charlotte's choice of drink. She slammed the base of her fist against the display before gently resting her forehead against the wall before slowly running her hand down the panel.  
"I...I know we've been through so much and I'm so sorry for all of it, but please just please let me have this one," she whispered. The panel stayed black. Charlotte nodded. "Yea, I suppose I do deserve that." She patted the wall as if to reassure the ship.   
"Charlotte Green, please report to planning room two in the main office complex," the computer's voice announced. She sighed, clearly not getting any form of caffeine this morning. She checked her hair, smoothed down the wrinkles in her uniform, pulled her boots on, threw the PADD on her armchair and took a deep breath before stepping out.

The corridors of the Xiao were a mess of wires, tools, loose bulkheads leaning against the walls and generators, much like her own quarters. Charlotte almost danced her way to the airlock to dodge the obstacles. She caught disapproving looks from some of the engineering team. She sneered at them in response. She still hadn't gotten used to them, they wandered around as if they owned the place. She couldn't stand it. As she walked down the corridor, a hull breach came into view, the hive of activity that was the Utopia Planitia shipyards behind the shimmering blue force field. The arms of the Xiao's drydock formed a thick metal cage, inside, workers in EV suits floated past, tethered to an unseen part of the hull. Workbees sped around carrying everything from personnel to huge pieces of hull plating to patch up the many holes in the Xiao's hull. Beyond the Xiao's cage, the numerous docks orbiting high above Mars each had their own ship in varying degrees of repair. Charlotte thought she recognised some of them from the battle, still missing chunks of hull. Shuttles buzzed between them and the huge central station, Charlottes destination.

The pilot that flew the shuttle from the Xiao's drydock to the station was far too chatty for Charlotte's liking. She quickly silenced her with a glare she spent years perfecting to put junior officers back in line. The shuttle docked and as she disembarked, she heard a sigh of relief from the pilot. She smiled to herself as she made her way to planning room 2. She didn't enjoy inflicting terror on officers, but she did like the fact that after months of taking orders from doctors, admirals and therapists, she could still command. Even if it was just one shuttle pilot.   
The windows to planning room 2 were blacked out. Charlotte wished she could see inside to at least get some idea on what she was about to face. But she had to go in blind, just one of the things she hated. She tapped the door control which chimed in response.  
"Enter," came a male voice. Charlotte stepped forward and the doors swished open.  
The room had been emptied save for a small metal desk with a jug of water, a glass and a chair tucked under it, facing a larger, curved wooden desk with three chairs, all occupied with admirals. In front of the admiral sat in the middle sat a small brass bell and a wooden hammer. Charlotte took a breath and nearly choked on it as she saw the last admiral.  
"Mrs Green, is there a problem?" the middle admiral said. From the voice, Charlotte realised it was he who summoned her in.  
"Not at all sir, I just need a glass of water. He gestured to the metal desk.  
"Please sit and we'll begin." Charlotte did so and took a deep breath as she poured a glass. A whole weeks research would dictate the next hour. The centre admiral picked up a small hammer and struck the bell three times.  
"This meeting is to determine whether Charlotte Green is fit to be reinstated as captain of the U.S.S. Xiao. Presiding are Admirals Peter Kline, myself James Moore, T'Pier and Charlotte Green. Do you have any questions before we start Mrs Green?"  
"Just one, I was lead to believe that admiral Jaktal would be a member of this board."  
"Ah, yes, well, unfortunately, she came down with Rigilian flu late last night. Admiral T'Pier offered to sit in her place," replied Admiral Kline, clearly the youngest looking one of the three, even though his dark brown hair had started greying around his temples.  
"I assure you, Mrs Green, I am very familiar with the facts of this case and I have read every evaluation of you made over the past few months, as well as over your impressive career. It made for...interesting reading." The Vulcan admiral raised her eyebrow. 'Is she bating me?' thought Charlotte as she sipped her water. Getting worked over by flawless Vulcan logic was not how she wanted to spend this already terrible morning.  
"Now that is out of the way, we have several questions for you, Mrs Green, to determine if you are indeed ready to be reinstated as captain of the Xiao. If we feel you should not be reinstated, you will be placed back on medical leave pending further psychological examinations for a period of six months, at which time we will reconvene. Do you understand?" admiral Moore stated.  
"Perfectly sir." Moore gave a warm smile, exactly as Charlotte thought he would.  
"Excellent. Now, I understand that your therapist has been extremely impressed with your progress, especially considering your first encounter with him. How do you feel about your progress," asked Kline.  
"I strongly believe that I have progressed in many more ways than simply my mental health. I have a new outlook on my life, my career, my relationships. I understand that myself and doctor Perez got off on the wrong foot, and I take full responsibility for that, but I really do feel like I have finally gotten the help I needed so dearly." 'Taking responsibility and a change of attitude. Two things Kline wants to hear. One down...' Charlotte thought.  
"Indeed, and doctor Perez seems to echo that," said Moore. "Now, the Borg are a threat that simply isn't going to go away. You never know when you might face them again. How do you think you'll react to another conflict with them," he asked.  
"Well, like all captains, I hope to never encounter the Borg. But I do realise that it may happen. Doctor Perez has given me some excellent techniques, Vulcan I believe, to help me focus and control my emotions, my fears and allow me to keep effective control of my ship. I reckon I could give the Kobayashi Maru test a run for its money," she joked. Moore chuckled. 'An action plan with attainable goals and a little joke to finish. Two down...'.  
"Well, that certainly adds up with everyone's assessment. Mrs Green, I'll be frank with you. You've already been cleared by your therapist and Starfleet Medical. This meeting is simply a formality. What with the Dominion war and now this Borg attack, Starfleet simply cannot afford to ground captains as skilled as you. I've known Perez for some time now, I trust his judgement. If he says you're ready, then I'm happy for you to return to active service." Charlotte smiled, a warm mask hiding a calculating mind. She was nearly free, but the final admiral had yet to speak.  
"I would like to ask Mrs Green some questions admiral," said T'Pier in a flat tone. Charlotte sat back in her chair. She had to think on her feet for this. Not her strong suit, but not impossible. "You have requested that you remain on your ship during repairs despite more suitable quarters being available. This has posed quite an issue to the repair crew and there have been numerous complaints filed regarding your conduct towards the repair teams as well as their need to work around you. Why did you stay on a ship that simply isn't space worthy." Charlotte gritted her teeth. 'Why bother explaining this to a Vulcan, she'd never understand.'  
"I feel most at home on my ship admiral. It's mine and I have a, well, I suppose a connection to her. Besides, I needed to make sure the repair teams put her back in one piece.  
"The Xiao is a ship, Mrs Green, little more than a collection of parts and metal. Having a connection to it is simply illogical. As for the repair crews, I am sure they did not require your lack of engineering experience looking over them." Charlottes started to grit her teeth. 'Keep it together, you're nearly free.'  
"That may be the case, but nobody knows my ship like I do, not even the engineers. I know how my ship runs best and I like my ship to run like a well-oiled machine." T'Pier's face gave nothing away. She picked up a PADD from the desk and held it up for Charlotte to see.  
"I have here a very damming report from one of your bridge officers which gives a very clear insight into-"  
"Yes we've already the report T'Pier, I'm sure it was simply written whilst adrenaline was still flowing. I'm sure whoever wrote it no longer believes what they wrote," interrupted Moore. T'Pier was unfazed.  
"Then would it surprise you that I spoke to the officer in question and found that they still stand by their report a month later," T'Pier continued. 'Fucking Izri. I knew bringing her on was a mistake.'  
"Mrs Green, how is a captain supposed to command when their crew has no faith in them? How will your 'well-oiled machine' fair then?"  
"I don't need them, I just need her," mumbled Charlotte, hanging her head.  
"I'm sorry Mrs Green, I could not hear you," said T'Pier, clearly trying to bait Charlotte  
"Perhaps we should take a short recess, I'm sure we'd all benefit from some fresh air," said Kline, trying to keep some form of order.  
"That will not be necessary admiral. I vote to keep Mrs Green on medical leave. Furthermore, I would strongly suggest that she be restricted to medical facilities and forbidden from boarding the Xiao for the duration of her treatment." Charlotte screamed as she jumped up, knocking the table over and sending the glass and jug flying. She lept over the upturned table, striding towards T'Pier.  
"You ruined it all!" screamed Charlotte, thrusting an accusatory finger in the face of an unflinching T'Pier. The other two admirals were stunned into silence. "I could have been free. I could have saved Anna, brought her home." Her voice faltered, hand dropping. "Hugged her. Laughed with her. Loved her." Charlotte sank to the floor. Admiral Kline had gotten up and was making his way to the door. Moore had come to Charlotte's side, kneeling but unsure how to help. T'Pier was simply looking down at her. Charlotte sniffed.  
"Please, I don't need my crew, any crew, I just need my ship, my Xiao. Please let me find her, let me bring her home. I need to do it," she said, voice quivering.  
"That will not be possible Mrs Green. It would seem that either doctor Perez's assessment was incorrect, or you are quite the manipulator. I personally believe the latter," came the cold voice of T'Pier, her words settling like lead on Charlotte's shoulders.  
"I'm afraid I have to agree, Charlotte. You're in no shape to command a starship," added Moore placing a kind hand on Charlotte's shoulder. The door swished open as doctor Perez rushed in, followed by admiral Kline. Charlotte pulled her knees to her face. She had come so close to freedom, so close to finally having her ship back only to have it all snatched away. Again. She wanted to laugh at the futility of it all, but she could only manage tears as she was helped up and led away by Perez.


End file.
